Ampoule



July 9, 1935. H. N. MAY 2,00%?,454

AMPOULE Filed Aug. 19, 1953 Patented Iuly 9, 1935 UNITED lSTATES PATENToFFlcE 1- claim.

'Ihe present invention relates to a container and a closure therefor andhas particularly to do with an ampoule or similar article.`

Originally, hypodermic injections were pre- 5 pared in bulk. It wasusual and customary for a dentist, physician, or veterinarian tomaintain a case containing bottles of medicinal liquids, each liquidcomprising a solution of a selectedstrength of a useful medicament. Theliquids were used to ll or partially ll the barrel of a hypodermicsyringe. Bulkiness and uncertainty of dosage were disadvantages inherentto this method.

Such hypodermio injections were produced,

mainlywithin the confines of a laboratory. It was possible thelaboratory to make sterile solutions of potent material, obtainuniformity therefor, but exact dosage in the hands of the user wasimpossible. It was irksome to carry a large number of bottles ofsolutions.

The selectedliquid was drawn into the barrel of a syringe in measuredquantity but this arrangement was diilicult of operation and there werevariations in the quantity drawn in due to the t of the plunger withinthe syringe barrel.

Next came hypodermic or hypodermatic tablets. Necessarily, these aremade by admixing the potent medicine with` a vehicle. The mixture is runthrough a tableting machine. Absolute uniformity of mixture ofmedicament and vehicle appears impossible. It has repeatedly beendemonstrated that the percentage of active ingredient in relation to oneportion of a mixture varies radically with the medicinal strength ofanother portion of the same mixture which went through the'same batchmixing device 'and at the same time. v I

`ack of uniformity wasnot the only difficulty. Distilled water was notalways convenient for use as a solvents Often polluted or impure waterwas utilized, perhaps 'with disastrous results. An ability to obtain theprecise amount of water best suited for the purpose was not present andfrequently the physician, dentist, or veterinarian was called upon tomix the tablet in water held in the bowl of a tablespoon or in someother crude Vessel. Uniform solution was impossible.

When the physician, dentist, or veterinarian attempted to *draw adissolved charge of potent material into a syringe, his success varied.The result was that the dose given by a hypodermic injection and madefrom a tablet, even under the best of circumstances, was uncertain.

The latest step has been to provide ampoules containingthe selectedquantity of medicament in solution, that is, in a 'single ampoule enough(o1. 12s-21s) of a solution to equal a dose, say for example, one eighthof one grain of` cocaine hydrochloride.

, Glass vials or cylinders are used. One end of the vial or cylinderv isprovided with a movable plug and thel other end with a puncturable head.The 5 hypodermic needle is used to puncture the head coincidentally withthe disposition of the ampoule in the barrel of' a syringe. Thus greateraccuracy was obtained than is possible` by either of thepreviouslydescribed methods 'of preparing 10 hypodermic injections( vThe present invention is anA improvement over previously employedampoules.' It is intended for use in a syringe having a needle disposedto puncture the head of the ampoule and a plunger to 15 force,longitudinally of the ampoule, a plug disposed adjacentthe other end ofthe glass vial or cylinder. f

The objectsof the present invention are the provision of new and novel.ampoules; an improved puncturable closure therefor; and a better, morepositive, air-tight and sanitary means forcapping'withpuncturablematerial the end of a glass vial or the like. Y

These'lobjects, `and such other objects as may hereinafterappear', areobtained by the novel construction', unique arrangement, and improvedcombination of the several elements which constitute the single rform ofthe invention illustratedv in the accompanying drawing, hereby made apart of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a device embodying thesubject matter of the invention; l s

Figure 2 is a diametric section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and Y YFigure 3 `is a fragmentary elevation of t e end of the ampoulecompletely `assembled for arketlng.. f

Likereference characters are used to dejsignate similar parts in thedrawing and in the escription of the invention which follows.

The ampouleillustrated is designated lill. It is shaped like aconventional homeopathic viral, and comprises an open ended cylindricalsection Il, generally of uniform diameter, terminating in shoulders I 2,a neck i3 and a squared or rimmed mouth I4. The diameter of the squaredmouth is slightly less than the diameter of the body Il. The open bottomend of the cylinder Il is closed by a plug IB, which plug is of anysuitable compressible material which will not contaminate the contentsofthe vial.

While closing the end of the ampoule against liquid seepage, the'plugshould be movable longi- 55 Fir tudinally of the cylinder for thepurpose of discharging any liquid contained therein through the neck I3and mouth I4, when the head is opened by a puncture therein, as by wayof the barrel of a hypodermic needle which is shown in dotted outline inFigure 1.

Such needle has a pointed, hollow, cylindrical section Il extendingthrough the closure member at the neck end of the ampoule. An enlargedportion on said needle and designated i8 is of soft metal and is usedfor snugly securing the needle upon the barrel of a hypodermic syringe.Said needle also has an extending cylindrical, pointed section I9intended to be forced into flesh. The discharge of the ampoule isthrough an axial passage of generally uniform diameter coextensve withthe needle as illustrated.

For closing the neck end of the ampoule, a cap 20 is provided. This maybe of a suitable rubber or any other suitable sturdy but flexiblematerial. The cap may be a combination of flexible and rigid material,if preferred. The cap or head comprises an end section ZI in which thereis a seat 22, such seat being depressed to provide a guide for centeringsection I'I of the hypodermic needle. The depressed seat extendsinwardly of the mouth of the ampoule. It possesses the tendency ofcausing the needle, when it is forced through the head, to seek the axisof the ampoule, thus avoiding contact with the walls of glass formingthe flaring mouth and neck of the ampoule. This seat may be eliminatedif desired.

Depending from the end section 2i is an annular section 23 of relativelythin material coextensive with and vadapted to shape itself to ccnformwith the external mouth structure of the ampoule. Immediately adjacentand depending from the annular section 23 is another annular section 24integral with the remainder of the closure member, the material however.being of greater thickness `and with either a smooth internal peripheryor knurled or tabbed or formed with slits therein as is shown in Figure2 to provide a plurality of independent gripping surfaces .25 ratherthan a single .gripping surface as where the surface is a continuous`annular section. The gripping surface or surfaces closely .engage theexterior of the neck of the bottle, the purpose of the knurls or slittedstructure being to reduce the tendency of the closure Amember to slip orbe twisted upon the ampoule neck.

The ampoule may be employed .as already described, or there may beplaced thereabout .or thereover a foil band or .cap or the ampoule maybe dipped into a viscous material which subsequently dries thereover toprovide .an air tight cover which may be readily sterilized by dippingin the usual sterilizing solutions. A metallic or foil band about thehead may be similarly sterilized. One form of band 21 is illustrated inFigure 3 and has a flange 28 at its top edge. Across the opening in thetop of the band is a thin foil disk 29, readily puncturable by a needle.

The diameter of the cap and covering thereover is substantially the sameas the diameter of the cylinder II, thus making the ampoule a generallycylindrical cartridge adapted to fit into the barrel of a syringewithout binding or undue stress at `any point.

That there is a uniform strain upon all portions of the ampoule preventsfracture or collapse. Such a structure provides an improved ampoule `inthat the cap is not readily displaceable therefrom, and will resist alarge degree of outward pressure while concurrently supporting orstrengthening the wall of the ampoule at the constricted neck and mouthportion thereof. No special machinery is needed for attaching the head.

The close hugging of the rubber cap over the mouth or flange of theampoule while adapting itself to the indented neck of the ampoule makesthe entire unit airproof and sterile. The flared mouth -or flange of theampoule serves as a lock against the smaller neck portion of the rubbercaps 4and in this manner it will resist great pressure.

Fur-ther, the rubber ears surrounding all of the ampoule end and havinga suicient thickness of wall and bottom, protects the tube or ampouleagainst breakage and the resiliency of the bottom protective flange actsas a rebound agency to greatly relieve tension and pressure on theampoule and at the same time practically eliminates regurgitation.

On the cap 21, a number or other designation may be used for identifyingthe solution in the ampoule .to which the cap is attached.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by 'Letters Patentof the United States is:

An ampoule comprising a body generally cylindrical in configuration,said body having an elongated neck surrounding the mouth of saidampoule, said neck having a lip of less diameter than said body and ofgreater diameter than said neck, a one ,piece slip-over cap of elasticmaterial having an Aexternal uniformly cylindrical periphery of slightlyless -diameter than the diameter of Ysaid body, the cap comprising asection of reduced

